Ken Rex.

"Ken Rex" at the Lucille Lortel Theatre is right now the most talked about, hottest ticket off Broadway in New York City. If you liked "Girl From The North County" or "Dead Outlaw", this musical is for you. The show takes place in Skidmore Missouri and focuses on the life of Ken Rex Mackelroy. His life has been filled with crime and general misbehavior. He avoids jail constantly because of his bright lawyer, McFadden.

"Ken Rex", like the other aforementioned plays has music on the stage: John Patrick Elliott is brilliant as a musician. He plays several instruments and the music compositions are extraordinary.

"Ken Rex" is hot off winning The Olivier Award for best musical. It's nitty gritty story is only a small part of the show... Star Jack Holden imitates all the characters that he plays, he changes his voice on the fly as he commands the stage. While we look at the solo character, we see a different performer each and every time he changes his voice as well as his body language.

The success of "Ken Rex" is several fold here: both Jack Holden and John Patrick Elliott are consuming for two hours, the show never gets slow or uninteresting. The two writers, Holden and Ed Stambollouian brought not only the story but the idea for the direction (Stambollouian directed this as well), how the movements occur and how Holden uses the stage. Two other effects in this show make it a success as well: the lighting by Joshua Pharo and the deft sound by Giles Thomas. The lights give off a edgy, county feel much like an Eastwood western movie, but it is the sound that brings the intensity at times to this very unique show. The space in which "Ken Rex" plays, the Lortel Theatre is a big part of the shows success as well. This intimate, smallish theater brings the stage to the audience in an up close and personal way. Hot off "Danny and The Deep Blue Sea", the Lortel is one of the best and most successful off Broadway houses today. The stage size for this show was used effectively for Holden to move about, his usage of the latter, the top part of the stage as well as the bottom was well thought through; it allowed the director to do more with the written material.

"Ken Rex" plays through June and I highly recommend this show. It is not a typical show by any stretch. The craftsmanship, the story behind it; the music; and the staging makes it unique and one of a kind!

"Ken Rex" plays beautifully in this off Broadway setting. A bigger theater would hinder this play. The intimacy of this show makes it great and a larger staging may very well drown it out.

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Next up: Becky Shaw. As Joe Turner opened last night, the conclusion of Broadway, Spring, 2026 concludes. It does so in a winning fashion. This season had many hits to it. The Tony Awards will, or should be dominated by the spring shows rather than the fall shows. From comedy to tragedy, the spring season brought great, more focused shows to the "White Way".

I saw 4 off Broadway shows this season (two have receptionist coming up). Ken Rex was as good an off Broadway as they come, "The Pushover" was horrible; Monte Cristo" was great! The receptionist, The Rocky Horror, Joe Turner and Becky Shaw will round out the season for 2026. I do look forward to the summer shorts at 59/59. I missed last years but enjoy the shorts when I can get their.

Look for my reviews at No Bull With Raging Robert and New York Lifestyles Magazine; My Life Publications, NJ Monthly. Tony Awards. Oliver Awards, Ken Rex, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Becky Shaw, Iran, New York City, Broadway.